Flat-iron.



V. B.'BENSON.

FLAT IRON.

APPLICATION FILED. OCT. 10. 1917- 7 Patented June 18, 1918.

VIRGINIA B. BENSON, OF RIVER.- FOREST, ILLINOIS.

FLAT-IRON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Application filed October 10, 1917. Serial No. 195,680.

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIRGINIA B. BENSON, citizen of the United States, residing at River Forest, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Flat-Irons, of which the following is a full, clear, coneise, and exact description.

My invention relates to flat irons and has for its object the provision of an improved formation of weights to be added thereto to increase the pressure of the fiat irons upon fabric being ironed.

In accordance with my invention a flat iron has an element, such as the base of its handle structure, that overlie-s and is spaced apart from the body of the flat iron and between which and the body of the fiat iron portions of the weight are receivable to prevent the weight from being accidentally lifted from the iron.

A clamping screw is desirably in threaded connection with the weight and engages the top of the flat iron body and may be turned to force the weight upwardly against the base of the handle structure firmly to maintain the flat iron and weight in assembly. The weight is preferably skirted to increase the amount thereof, this skirt also being desirably relied upon to engage the body of the iron to define the position of the weight with respect tothe iron, to which end the skirt conforms in contour to the portion of the body of the iron inclosed by the skirt.

I will. explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flat iron equipped in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a view on line 22 of Fig. 3 with the body of the flat iron shown in end elevation; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the flat iron with the weight shown in section. Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The flat iron illustrated is a gas heated iron but the invention is not to be limited thereto. The fiat iron body 1 is of the usual or any suitable shape. The handle of wood or any other suitable non-heat conducting material is secured to the upper ends of a stirrup 3, the stirrup happeningto include in its formation a coiled spring 4 to ease the iron to the user. The base 5 of the stirrup rests upon the bosses 6 that are formed upon the top side of the fiat iron body. Screws 7 are passed through the base 5 of the handle structure into the bosses 6, these screws thereby assembling the handle structure and flat iron body. The base 5 of the handle structure extends laterally of the flat iron beyond opposite lateral sides of the bosses 6, the sides of the base 5 thus overhanging the bosses 6 to afford a space between the base and the flat iron body.

A weight 8, made preferably of cast iron, is desirably of horseshoe or U shape and has shoulders 9 that margin the inner sides of the weight and are desirably at the lower surface thereof. These shoulders 9 are spaced sufliciently apart to enable the bosses 6 to be received therebetween. In conform ity with the shape of the body of the iron illustrated the weight is of arrow shape and has a depending skirt 10 that may be closely engaged with the upper edge portion of the body 1. An assembling thumb clamping screw 11 is in threaded connection with the weight, projecting through the top thereof so as to be engageable with the fiat iron body when the weight is placed thereupon. In

placing the weight upon the fiat iron the shoulders 19 are placed in line with the space beneath the base 5 of the handle structure and so that these shoulders will be upon opposite sides of the bosses 6 whereafter the weight is moved longitudinally of the flat iron to insert said shoulders below the longitudinal edge portions of the base 5 of the handle structure that project laterally of the iron beyond the bosses 6. The sides of the skirt 10 are desirably connected at the front of the weight and separated or discontinued at the rear of. the weight on which account the weight is assembled with the flat iron by being moved from the front to the rear thereof. The extent to which the weight may be moved to the rear is, in such event, preferably limited by the engagement of the front portion of the skirt with the nose or front of the flat iron body. After the weight has been moved completely to the rear the screw 11 is turned into engagement with the top of the flat iron body whereby the weight is sufficiently raised to cause it to be clamped into engagement with the base 5 of the handle structure, said screw thus being employed to effect a rigid or fixed relation between the weight and flat iron body so that the weight will not rise or be moved forwardly with respect to the flat iron body to become accidentally dislodged therefrom.

I desirably enlarge the weight at the front or nose end of the flat iron as indicated at 12 where the pressure is desirably particularly increased by the added weight but I do not wish to be limited to this arrangement.

As the weight is preferably formed it is not in intimate contact throughout its inner surface with the body of the fiat iron and therefore does not become as'hot as the flat iron body and as this weight is between the fiat iron body and the gripping portion of the handle it also acts as a shield to protect the hand that is gripping the handle from the heat of the iron. An important feature of my construction is the facility with which the weight may be applied. the weight being removable and applicable while the flat iron body and flat iron handle are assembled.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A fiat iron having an element overlying the body thereof; in combination with a U- shaped weight having shoulders margining the inner sides of the weight and which shoulders are receivable between said ele ment and the flat iron body, the weight having a depending skirt inclosing an upper portion of the flat iron body and conforming in contour to such portion, said skirt being engageable with the fiat iron body to define the relative position of the weight and flat iron body.

2. A flat iron, in combination with a U- shaped weight having shoulders margining the inner sides of the weight and which shoulders are receivable between the fiat iron body and the base of the handle structure of the flat iron, the weight having a depending skirt inclosing an upper portion of the flat iron body and conforming in contour to such portion, said skirt being engageable with the flat iron body to define the relative position of the weight and flat iron body.

3. A flat iron having an element overlying the body thereof, in combination with a U- shaped weight having shoulders margining the inner sides of the weight and which shoulders are receivable between said element and the flat iron body.

4. A fiat iron, in combination with a U shaped weight having shoulders niargining the inner sides of the weight and which shoulders are receivable between the flat iron body and the base of the handle structure of the flat iron.

5. A flat iron having a flat iron body and a handle assembled with such body, in combination with a weight formed to be insertible between the gripping portion. of the handle and the fiat iron body and to be removable from the flat iron while the flat iron body and flat iron handle are assembled.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of October, A. D.

VIRGINIA B. BENSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). O. 

